U.S. patent number 8,845,363 [Application Number 13/607,528] was granted by the patent office on 2014-09-30 for reinforcing bars in i/o connectors.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Apple Inc.. The grantee listed for this patent is John B. Ardisana, II, Eric S. Jol, Dhaval N. Shah, Jason S. Sloey. Invention is credited to John B. Ardisana, II, Eric S. Jol, Dhaval N. Shah, Jason S. Sloey.
United States Patent |
8,845,363 |
Ardisana, II , et
al. |
September 30, 2014 |
Reinforcing bars in I/O connectors
Abstract
Reinforcing bars or a reinforcing element with holes can be
embedded within the shell of a receptacle connector to strengthen
the shell, and potentially provide shielding. For example, a
receptacle connector having a plurality of contacts configured to
mate with corresponding contacts of a corresponding plug connector
can include a shell having an opening for receiving the
corresponding plug connector. The shell can include an upper
portion and reinforcing bars embedded within the upper portion. The
shell can include an upper portion and a reinforcing element with
holes embedded within the upper portion. Methods for manufacturing
the shell are also provided.
Inventors: |
Ardisana, II; John B. (San
Francisco, CA), Jol; Eric S. (San Jose, CA), Sloey; Jason
S. (Cedar Park, TX), Shah; Dhaval N. (Fremont, CA) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Ardisana, II; John B.
Jol; Eric S.
Sloey; Jason S.
Shah; Dhaval N. |
San Francisco
San Jose
Cedar Park
Fremont |
CA
CA
TX
CA |
US
US
US
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Apple Inc. (Cupertino,
CA)
|
Family
ID: |
49118810 |
Appl.
No.: |
13/607,528 |
Filed: |
September 7, 2012 |
Prior Publication Data
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|
|
Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 20140073182 A1 |
Mar 13, 2014 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
439/606;
439/607.35 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B29C
45/14639 (20130101); B29C 45/14065 (20130101); H01R
13/6599 (20130101); B29C 45/14631 (20130101); H01R
43/20 (20130101); H01R 13/504 (20130101); H01R
13/648 (20130101); Y10T 29/49204 (20150115); B29C
2045/14122 (20130101); B29L 2031/36 (20130101); B29C
2045/0006 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H01R
13/648 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;439/604,606,607.35,607.4,607.01 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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102008029104 |
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Jan 2010 |
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DE |
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2926403 |
|
Jul 2009 |
|
FR |
|
Other References
International Search Report and Written Opinion for International
PCT Application No. PCT/US2013/056652, mailed Dec. 4, 2013, 13
pages. cited by applicant.
|
Primary Examiner: Paumen; Gary
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton
LLP
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A receptacle connector for an electronic device, the receptacle
connector for receiving a corresponding plug connector, the
receptacle connector comprising: a plurality of contacts configured
to mate with corresponding contacts of the corresponding plug
connector; and a shell having an opening for receiving the
corresponding plug connector, the shell comprising: an upper
portion having an electromagnetic shielding portion adjacent to
each of the plurality of contacts; and reinforcing bars embedded
within and spanning a substantial portion of the electromagnetic
shielding portion, the reinforcing bars configured to provide
electromagnetic shielding.
2. The receptacle connector of claim 1, wherein the upper portion
is adjacent to the corresponding plug connector when the plug
connector is inserted into the receptacle connector.
3. The receptacle connector of claim 1, wherein the shell further
comprises: a lower portion; a back portion; a right portion; and a
left portion; wherein reinforcing bars are embedded within more
than one portion of the shell.
4. The receptacle connector of claim 3, wherein reinforcing bars
are also embedded within the lower portion.
5. The receptacle connector of claim 3, wherein reinforcing bars
are also embedded within one or more of the left, right and back
portions.
6. The receptacle connector of claim 1, wherein the reinforcing
bars are in a grid configuration.
7. The receptacle connector of claim 1, wherein the reinforcing
bars are in a diagonal grid configuration.
8. The receptacle connector of claim 1, wherein the shell is an
injection molded part.
9. The receptacle connector of claim 1, wherein the electronic
device is a mobile phone, tablet, or portable media player.
10. The receptacle connector of claim 1, wherein the reinforcing
bars are made from carbon steel, nickel, or titanium.
11. The receptacle connector of claim 1, wherein the upper portion
is adjacent to an antenna of the electronic device.
12. The receptacle connector of claim 1, wherein the upper portion
is made of an insulator material.
13. A receptacle connector for an electronic device, the receptacle
connector for receiving a corresponding plug connector, the
receptacle connector comprising: a plurality of contacts configured
to mate with corresponding contacts of the corresponding plug
connector; and a shell having an opening for receiving the
corresponding plug connector, the shell comprising: an upper
portion having an electromagnetic shielding portion adjacent to
each of the plurality of contacts; and a reinforcing element having
holes and embedded within and spanning a substantial portion of the
electromagnetic shielding portion, the reinforcing element
configured to provide electromagnetic shielding.
14. The receptacle connector of claim 13, wherein the reinforcing
element is formed by bar elements configured in a mesh pattern that
includes the holes.
15. The receptacle connector of claim 13, wherein the reinforcing
element is formed by a sheet of material having the holes.
16. The receptacle connector of claim 13, wherein the upper portion
is adjacent to an antenna of the electronic device.
17. The receptacle connector of claim 13, wherein the shell further
comprises: a lower portion; a back portion; a right portion; and a
left portion; wherein the reinforcing element is embedded within
more than one portion of the shell.
18. The receptacle connector of claim 13, wherein the reinforcing
element is made from carbon steel, nickel, or titanium.
19. A method of manufacturing a receptacle connector for an
electronic device, the receptacle connector for receiving a
corresponding plug connector, the method comprising: suspending a
plurality of contacts within a die, the die for forming a shell of
the receptacle connector, the plurality of contacts suspended in a
first region of the die; suspending a reinforcing element within
the die, the reinforcing element suspended in a second region of
the die that corresponds to an electromagnetic shielding portion of
the shell formed by the die, the second region adjacent to each of
the plurality of contacts suspended in the first region, the
reinforcing element spanning a substantial portion of the second
region, the reinforcing element configured to provide
electromagnetic shielding; injecting material into the die to form
at least part of the shell; and removing the shell from the
die.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein the reinforcing element is
suspended using supports disposed in one or more recesses of the
die into which ends of the reinforcing element may be inserted.
21. The method of claim 19, wherein the reinforcing element
comprises reinforcing bars in a grid configuration.
22. The method of claim 19, wherein the reinforcing element is
formed by a sheet of material having holes.
23. The method of claim 19, wherein the reinforcing element is
suspended in regions of the die corresponding to more than one
portion of the shell, and wherein the shell further comprises: an
upper portion, the upper portion including the shielding portion; a
lower portion; a back portion; a right portion; and a left
portion.
24. The method of claim 19 further comprising: machining one or
more portions of the reinforcing element that protrude from the
shell.
Description
BACKGROUND
The present invention relates generally to input/output electrical
connectors, and in particular shells for receptacle connectors.
Many electronic devices include electrical connectors that receive
and provide power and data. These electrical connectors are
typically receptacle connectors and are designed to receive a male
plug connector. The male plug connector may be on the end of a
cable. The plug connector may plug into the receptacle connector of
an electronic device, thereby forming one or more conductive paths
for signals and power.
The receptacle connector often has a shell that surrounds and
provides mechanical support for contacts. Receptacle connector
shells are typically made from plastics. These contacts may be
arranged to mate with corresponding contacts on the plug connector
to form portions of electrical path between devices.
These receptacle connectors may be attached or otherwise fixed to
device enclosures that surround an electronic device. As electronic
devices continue to become smaller, these enclosures have
increasingly limited internal space while still including a large
number of internal components. Limited space within the enclosures
of devices creates a number of challenges. For example, the limited
internal space of these enclosures drives the demand for smaller
internal components such as smaller receptacle connector shells.
However, smaller receptacle connector shells may be prone to
breaking due to thinner shell walls, particularly when made of
plastic. As another example, a metallic shell may couple with an
antenna and cause interference as the dimensions of the device
become smaller.
A plastic shell may include glass in a polymer resin, but while
this may be used to strengthen the shell, it may also make the
shell more brittle and more prone to breaking.
Many devices suffer from all or some of these deficiencies or from
similar deficiencies. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide small
devices with connectors that are strong and reduce
interference.
BRIEF SUMMARY
Various embodiments of the invention pertain to receptacle
connector shells for electrical connectors that improve upon some
or all of the above described deficiencies. For example,
reinforcing bars can be embedded within the shell of a connector
receptacle to strengthen the shell and potentially reduce breakage.
Reinforcing bars embedded within a shell of a receptacle connector
may also serve as shielding for the connector receptacle.
Accordingly, some embodiments relate to improved receptacle
connector shells that can provide for a smaller, stronger
receptacle connector shell, increased Electromagnetic Interference
and Electromagnetic Compatibility performance ("EMI/EMC
performance"), and increased flexibility in the positioning of an
antenna within the enclosure of an electronic device. Other
embodiments of the invention pertain to methods of manufacturing
receptacle connector shells of the present invention. Although
aspects of the invention are described in relation to environments
where space within the enclosure of an electronic device is
limited, it is appreciated that these features and aspects can be
used in a variety of different environments, regardless of space
constraints.
According to one embodiment, a receptacle connector for an
electronic device is provided. The receptacle connector can include
a plurality of contacts configured to mate with corresponding
contacts of a corresponding plug connector and a shell having an
opening for receiving the corresponding plug connector. The shell
can include an upper portion and reinforcing bars embedded within
the upper portion.
According to another embodiment, a receptacle connector for an
electronic device is provided. The receptacle connector can include
a plurality of contacts configured to mate with corresponding
contacts of a corresponding plug connector and a shell having an
opening for receiving the corresponding plug connector. The shell
can include an upper portion and a reinforcing element having holes
embedded within the upper portion.
Another exemplary embodiment of the present invention may provide a
receptacle connector that may be easily manufactured. A method of
manufacturing a receptacle connector is provided. A reinforcing
element can be suspended within a die for forming a shell of the
receptacle connector. The reinforcing element can be suspended in a
region of the die that corresponds to an upper portion of the shell
formed by the die. Material can be injected into the die to form at
least part of the shell. The shell can be removed from the die.
The receptacle connector shell described herein can be used in a
variety of different electronic devices, which may use a variety of
different connector technologies. The invention may apply to many
commonly used data connectors including standard USB and mini USB
connectors, FireWire connectors, as well as many of the proprietary
connectors, e.g., Apple's proprietary 30-pin connector, used with
common portable electronics. The invention may also apply to
internal connectors or other connections between components within
the enclosure of an electronic device.
To better understand the nature and advantages of the present
invention, reference should be made to the following description
and the accompanying figures. It is to be understood, however, that
each of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration
only and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the scope
of the present invention. Also, as a general rule, and unless it is
evident to the contrary from the description, where elements in
different figures use identical reference numbers, the elements are
generally either identical or at least similar in function or
purpose.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 illustrates a simplified perspective drawing of a host
device having a receptacle connector according to embodiments of
the present invention.
FIG. 2 illustrates a receptacle connector having a plug connector
proximate thereto and inserted therein.
FIG. 3 illustrates a partially transparent perspective view of a
receptacle connector shell including a reinforcing element
according to embodiments of the present invention.
FIG. 4 illustrates a cross sectional view of an electronic device
including a receptacle connector according to the embodiment of the
present invention as shown in FIG. 3.
FIG. 5 illustrates a partially transparent perspective view of a
receptacle connector according to an embodiment of the present
invention.
FIG. 6 illustrates a cross sectional view of a plug connector being
extracted from a receptacle connector according to an embodiment of
the present invention.
FIG. 7 illustrates a cross sectional view of a plug connector
inserted into a receptacle connector according to an embodiment of
the present invention.
FIGS. 8A-8B illustrate additional embodiments of reinforcing
elements according to the present invention.
FIGS. 8C-8E illustrate additional embodiments of receptacle
connector reinforcing elements according to the present
invention.
FIGS. 9A-9B illustrate an exemplary die for use in methods of
manufacturing according to the present invention.
FIG. 10 illustrates a method of manufacture according to an
embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Embodiments can provide a connector receptacle for an electronic
device having a reinforced shell. The shell can be reinforced with
reinforcing elements such as reinforcing bars or rebars. The
reinforcing elements can be embedded in a portion of the connector
receptacle shell to strengthen the shell. The reinforcing element
can be configured in a mesh pattern, thereby allowing the
reinforcing elements to provide EMI shielding for the receptacle
connector to improve EMI/EMC performance of the electronic device.
The shell of the reinforced connector receptacle can be made in an
effective manufacturing process.
I. Device and Connector Configuration
FIG. 1 is a simplified perspective drawing of a host device 100
having a receptacle connector 110 according to embodiments of the
present invention. Host device 100 includes a receptacle connector
110 that may receive a corresponding plug connector 120 via an
opening (shown in FIG. 2). The plug connector includes external
contacts 130 that can accommodate some or all of video, audio, data
and control signals along with power and ground.
Corresponding electrical contacts (shown in FIG. 3) may be located
in receptacle connector 110. Plug connector 120 is compatible with
receptacle connector 110 of host device 100 that can be, as shown
in FIG. 1, a mobile phone. Host device 100 may be a portable
computing device; a tablet; a desktop; an all-in-one computer; a
cell, smart or media phone; a storage device; a portable media
player; a navigation system; a monitor or other electronic
device.
As discussed above, electronic devices may include components that
are susceptible to EMI. For example, host device 100 may include an
antenna. Receptacle connector 110 and plug connector 120, when
mated with receptacle connector 110, may each create EMI for an
antenna of host device 100 if not properly shielded. In some cases,
it may possible to position a device's antenna to avoid EMI.
However, as electronic devices continue to become smaller, there is
increasingly limited internal space within devices and thus reduced
flexibility in positioning internal components such, e.g., an
antenna, to avoid EMI. Additionally, this demand for smaller
devices requires internal components, e.g., receptacle connector
110, to be smaller. Smaller receptacle connectors may necessarily
have thinner shell walls that may not be thick enough to shield EMI
originating from the receptacle connector. Additionally, a smaller
receptacle connector may also be prone to breaking due to the
thinner shell walls. Accordingly, some embodiments discussed below
relate to improved receptacle connector shells that can provide for
a smaller, stronger receptacle connector shell, increased EMI/EMC
performance, and increased flexibility in the positioning of an
antenna within the enclosure of an electronic device, e.g., host
device 100.
FIG. 2 illustrates a receptacle connector 210 having a plug
connector 120 proximate thereto and inserted therein. As shown in
FIG. 2, plug connector 120 includes a tab 122 having an electrical
contact region 124 with a plurality of electrical contacts 130 for
electrically coupling to corresponding electrical contacts (shown
in FIG. 3) disposed inside receptacle connector 210. Receptacle
connector 210 is generally defined by a housing including a shell
240, one or more brackets 245 and 250, and contacts (shown in FIG.
3). Shell 240 is attached to a surface or components on the
interior of device 100 (shown in FIG. 1), typically by use of the
brackets 245, 250. Shell 240 may be coupled within a device using
an upper bracket 245 that extends over the upper portion of the
shell 240 and a lower bracket 250 that extends underneath shell
240. The end portions of each bracket 245 and 250 include holes for
receiving a screw to facilitate mechanically coupling the shell 240
within a device enclosure, e.g., enclosure 105 (shown in FIG. 1) of
device 100 (shown in FIG. 1). Shell 240 may also include additional
brackets and/or coupling elements for coupling shell 240 within
device 100 (shown in FIG. 1). Plug connector 120 and connector
receptacle 110 are connected by inserting tab 122 along insertion
axis until the tab 122 is fully inserted into a mated configuration
in which electrical contacts 130 and corresponding contacts (not
shown in FIG. 2) in receptacle 210 are electrically coupled, as
shown in FIG. 2.
II. Connector Shell Including Reinforcement Bars
Reinforcing elements, e.g., rebars, can be embedded within the
shell of a connector receptacle to strengthen the shell and
increase EMI/EMC performance. Similar to how concrete walls are
reinforced by rebars, shells may also be reinforced by rebars. When
arranged in a mesh configuration, these rebars may also serve as
shielding for the connector receptacle by means of an effect
similar to that of a Faraday cage or shield. Hence, a mesh of
embedded rebars may block electrical fields like the ones that may
cause a device's antenna to couple with a receptacle connector or a
mated plug connector. A sheet of metal embedded in a receptacle
connector may provide similar shielding, but the sheet metal itself
may couple with the device's antenna and create EMI. However, a
mesh of rebars may require less metal than a solid structure like
sheet metal such that it would be less prone to antenna coupling
while still providing similar levels of shielding via an effect
similar to that of a Faraday cage. Accordingly, embodiments of
reinforcing elements, e.g., rebars, described herein may allow for
improvements in both the mechanical domain, e.g., structural
strength, and the electrical domain, e.g., EMI/EMC performance.
FIG. 3 illustrates a partially transparent perspective view of a
receptacle connector shell including a reinforcing element
according to embodiments of the present invention. As shown in FIG.
2, a reinforcing element 360 may include a number of reinforcing
bars or rebars. Reinforcing element 360 may be made from a variety
of materials including metals, dielectrics, polymers or a
combination thereof. Reinforcing element 360 may be made primarily
or exclusively from a metal, such as carbon steel. While
reinforcing element 360 is shown as including one or more straight
rebars in FIG. 3 and other included examples, rebars may have other
shapes. For example, rebars may be rectangular, circular, curved,
triangular, L-shaped, Z-shaped, U-shaped or otherwise shaped,
including other shapes described herein. Additionally, the cross
section of the rebars of reinforcing elements discussed herein may
be non-circular, e.g., triangular, rectangular, asymmetrically
shaped or otherwise shaped. Rebars may have a non-constant cross
section where the shape and/or thickness of the rebars may vary
about the length of the one or more rebars. Reinforcing element 360
may include more than one rebar, e.g., a mesh of rebars, as
discussed below.
A. Parallel Rebars Configuration
As shown in FIG. 3, reinforcing element 360 may be embedded within
an upper portion of shell 340. Shell 340 may be made from an
insulator material, e.g., polymeric materials such as
thermoplastics, thermosets, and/or elastomers, with or without
embedded particles such as glass. As shown in FIG. 3, reinforcing
element 360 may be in a grid or mesh configuration including
parallel bars and overlapping perpendicular bars. These bars may
have a circular cross-section and include ridges or other
encircling protrusions for better anchoring within shell 340 and
ties or welds may be implemented at joints 365 where bars overlap
to strengthen the frame of reinforcing element 360. Ties may be
implemented using steel wire that is twisted about the intersection
point of two or more rebars, e.g., a snap or single tie. Also shown
in FIG. 3 are contacts 330 positioned within the lower portion of
shell 340 and extending into the opening 315 (shown in FIG. 4) of
receptacle connector 310. Contacts 330 may connect to one or more
flexible circuit boards, printed circuit boards or other substrates
within the host device, e.g., device 100 as shown in FIG. 1.
While reinforcing element 360 of FIG. 3 includes 14 rebars that
extend a full or substantial width or length of the upper portion
of shell 340, some embodiments of the present invention may include
more or less rebars aligned in the width and/or length direction.
Furthermore, in other embodiments, the rebars do not extend a full
or substantial length or width of the upper portion of shell 340,
but rather extend a shorter length or even a longer length.
FIG. 4 illustrates a cross sectional view of an electronic device
including a receptacle connector according to the embodiment of the
present invention as shown in FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 4,
reinforcing element 360 may be embedded within an upper portion of
shell 340 adjacent to antenna 380 of device 300. Antenna 380 may
serve as the exclusive radio frequency (RF) antenna or may be one
of many antennas within device 300. Antenna 380 may be any number
of antennas used in electronic devices, including a WiFi antenna, a
CDMA or GMS antenna, a Global Positioning System (GPS) antenna, or
any other antenna implemented in electronic devices. As the
position of antenna 380 may vary among electronic devices, so may
the position of reinforcing element 360 vary to be adjacent to
antenna 380 and embedded in shell 340. The configuration and/or
position of reinforcing element 360 may also vary in order to
accommodate receptacle connector contacts 330 (shown in FIG. 3),
which also may be embedded within shell 340. For example, a
reinforcing element may include gaps in its rebar pattern to allow
for receptacle connector contacts to protrude through the shell and
the reinforcing element unobstructed and make contact with
corresponding contacts on a mated plug connector.
As will be discussed in greater detail below, embedded reinforcing
elements as discussed herein may provide shielding for a receptacle
connector so as to prevent or reduce coupling between an antenna of
an electronic device, e.g., antenna 380, and the connector
receptacle as well as a mated plug connector. This shielding may be
similar to a Faraday cage or shield and may lead to improved
EMI/EMC performance of the electronic device.
B. Diagonal Rebar Configuration
FIG. 5 illustrates a partially transparent perspective view of a
receptacle connector according to an embodiment of the present
invention. As shown in FIG. 5, reinforcing element 560 may be
configured in a diagonal grid or mesh formation having parallel
bars and overlapping perpendicular bars that extend diagonally
within an upper portion of shell 540. Reinforcing element 560 of
receptacle connector 510 may include ridges, have a circular cross
section, and implement ties or welds at joints 565. Reinforcing
element 560 includes twenty rebars that are equally spaced and
aligned in two different directions, the two directions being
perpendicular to one another. Alternatively, the rebars may be
aligned in two different directions that are not perpendicular to
one another. As another example, more or less rebars may be
included in order to create a more or less dense mesh of rebars. As
yet another example, the rebars may not be equally spaced and/or
may be aligned in more than two different directions.
In some embodiments of reinforcing element 560, the rebars may not
extend a full or substantial distance across the upper portion of
shell 540, but rather extend a shorter length or even a longer
length. Alternatively, some rebars may extend a full or substantial
distance across the upper portion of shell 540 while others rebars
only extend a partial distance across the upper portion of shell
540.
Similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, reinforcing element 560
may be embedded within an upper portion of shell 540 or another
portion of shell 540 adjacent to the antenna of an electronic
device. Some embodiments of the invention may include more or less
rebars. In other embodiments, the rebars may not extend a full or
substantial diagonal length of shell 540, but rather extend a
shorter length or even a longer length.
III. Prevention of Damage
FIG. 6 illustrates a cross sectional view of a plug connector being
extracted from a receptacle connector according to an embodiment of
the present invention. During the use and operation of host device
600, plug connector 620 may be inserted into and extracted from
receptacle connector 610 on a regular basis. Each insertion and
extraction event may apply forces to the shell 640 that can
potentially cause damage to shell 640. While FIG. 6 illustrates a
specific force vector, vector F1, applied by a user on plug
connector 620 during an extraction event, many different forces may
be applied in a number of different ways during extraction events
and in yet additional ways during insertion events. For example, as
is commonly recommended for extracting connectors from devices, a
force may be applied away from host device 600 and in the same
direction as the axis of opening 615 of receptacle connector 610.
Device 600 may also be dropped or otherwise acted upon so as to
apply an unintentional force to plug connector 620, which may be
contrary to recommended force applications for the insertion or
extraction of plug connector 620.
As shown in FIG. 6, force vector F1--a common, but non-recommended
application of force for plug connector extraction--may translate
via plug connector 620 and result in other forces being applied to
shell 640, e.g., resultant force vectors F2 and F3. For example,
force vector F1 may result when a user retracts plug connector 620
from receptacle connector 610 by holding the electronic device with
one hand and pulling on the plug connector in the direction of the
insertion axis with the other hand, but also applies some
incidental torque to plug connector 620 during the retracting
process. Force vector F3 may result in the wall of the shell 640
opposite to the wall embedded with reinforcing element 650
experiencing a load at a front edge near opening 615. Force vector
F2 may result at the wall of shell 640 embedded with reinforcing
element 660 experiencing load at point between a back wall of shell
640 and opening 615. Depending on the magnitude of force vector F1,
force vectors F2 and F3 may apply a significant load to shell 640.
The application of these significant forces or the continued
application of similar less significant forces to shell 640 could
potentially cause a catastrophic failure of shell 640.
As discussed earlier, many receptacle connector shells are made
from glass filled material, e.g., glass resin, for rigidity and
strength. However, glass filled materials may be brittle and lead
to catastrophic brittle failures under loads as opposed to slow
yielding ductile failures associated with non-filled polymers. By
placing rebars, e.g., embodiments of reinforcing element 360 and
560, inside receptacle connectors shells, other non-filled
materials may be used that may allow for higher elongation to break
and more desirable failure modes. For example, by removing glass
particles from a polymer resin, the polymer may retain its elastic
properties. These elastic properties may allow shells, e.g., shells
340 and 540, to flex when a load is applied rather than resulting
in material failures. The flex or elongation before failure
provided by polymers in combination with rebars that help in
managing flex may result in a more robust design. As a result of
this combination, embodiments of receptacle connector shells
discussed herein may have more give and may potentially be less
prone to breakage. By increasing the overall strength of connector
receptacle shells with rebars, it may be possible for connector
receptacle shells to have thinner walls without increasing the risk
of material failures.
As discussed earlier, reducing the size of internal components,
e.g., reducing wall thickness, may be beneficial in meeting the
demand for increasingly smaller device enclosures. Thus, even
though increasingly wall thickness is effective in increasing the
overall strength of connector receptacle shells, size constraints
may prevent thicker walls from being a desirable option or even an
option at all. Alternatively, embedded sheet metal in a shell could
be used instead of increasing wall thickness to increase strength,
but this may result in issues in the electrical domain as discussed
below.
IV. Shielding
FIG. 7 illustrates a cross sectional view of a plug connector
inserted into a receptacle connector according to an embodiment of
the present invention. As discussed above, electrical connectors
can reduce the EMI/EMC performance of a device if not properly
shielded. For example, receptacle connector 710 either alone or in
combination with plug connector 720 may interfere with antenna 780
if not properly shielded. This interference may result from antenna
coupling wherein one or more electrically conductive objects, e.g.,
receptacle connector 710 and/or plug connector 720, interact with
radiated electromagnetic waves, e.g., RF waves 785 radiated from
antenna 780, and transform the radiated energy into energy
conducted by the conductive objectives. In this manner, metal
components, wires and other electrically conductive elements of
receptacle connector 710 and plug connector 720 may act as unwanted
antennas and interfere with the efforts by antenna 780 to send and
receive RF waves 785. In FIG. 7, double-headed arrows represent
antenna coupling. Antenna coupling 790 represents antenna coupling
between antenna 780 and connector 710 and/or plug connector 720.
Antenna coupling 795 represents antenna coupling between antenna
780 and the upper portion of shell 740, which includes embedded
reinforcing element 760, adjacent to antenna 780 and/or any
reinforcing elements embedded within shell 740.
As discussed above, many receptacle connector shells are made from
glass resin to provide structural rigidity and strength. However,
in some cases, glass resin may not be able to provide sufficient
shielding to prevent coupling 790. Inserting molding sheet metal in
a receptacle connector shell was discussed above as an alternative
means of reinforcing and shielding the receptacle connector. In
contrast with glass resin, sheet metal may have the ability to
provide sufficient shielding to prevent unacceptable levels of
antenna coupling 205. However, while sheet metal may shield antenna
coupling 790, the sheet metal may also cause unacceptable levels of
antenna coupling 795 and reduce EMI/EMC performance of device 700.
As such, sheet metal may not be an appropriate solution in all
cases.
As also discussed above, a mesh of rebars, e.g., embodiments of
reinforcing elements 360 and 560 (shown in FIGS. 3 and 5,
respectively), may provide similar structural advantages to that of
embedded sheet metal. However, as shown in FIG. 7, reinforcing
element 760 would require much less metal to be embedded in shell
740 because it is not a solid sheet of metal. Hence, using rebar in
shell 740 may allow for strategic placement of less metal inside
shell 740 such that antenna coupling 195 may be reduced to
acceptable levels. In addition, the mesh configuration of
embodiments of reinforcing elements still may provide sufficient
shielding to prevent unacceptable levels of antenna coupling 790 by
means of an effect similar to that of a Faraday cage or shield. A
Faradays cage is an enclosure formed by a mesh of conductive
material, e.g., reinforcing element 760, that blocks electrical
fields like the ones that cause antenna coupling. As such,
embodiments of reinforcing elements described herein may allow for
improvements in both the mechanical domain, e.g., structural
strength, and the electrical domain, e.g., EMI/EMC performance.
In some situations, simply moving the antenna of an electronic
device away from the receptacle connector of electronic device may
also help to prevent antenna coupling, e.g., antenna coupling 790
and/or 795. However, as discussed above, other design constraints
may make moving antennas not always possible or may result in other
challenges. Hence, the use of reinforcing elements as described may
allow for greater flexibility in designing an electronic device by
not necessitating that the device's antenna be located away from
the receptacle connector in order to achieve acceptable EMI/EMC
performance.
V. Additional Variations
FIGS. 8A-8B illustrate additional embodiments of reinforcing
elements according to the present invention. Reinforcing elements
may be varied in a number of ways other than those discussed above.
For example, FIG. 8A shows reinforcing element 860 of receptacle
connector 810 embedded in at least three portions of shell 840,
including an upper, lower and back portion as shown in FIG. 8A.
Alternatively, reinforcing elements may be embedded throughout
shell 840, including the upper, lower, right (not shown), left (not
shown) and back portions or combinations thereof. Again, shell 860
may be made from plastic or other nonconductive materials while
rebars may be made from metals such as steel.
As shown in FIG. 8B, reinforcing element 861 may include undulate
rebars 863. The undulating section of the undulate rebar may be
limited to of a select number rebars and may be further limited to
only a portion of the select number of rebars as shown in FIG. 8B.
However, the undulated rebars and the undulated portions of the
undulated rebars may be varied. For example, all the rebars of a
reinforcing element may be partially undulated or only two rebars
may be undulated, but the entire length of the rebar may be
undulated. The undulated design may be used because finite element
analysis (FEA) of the undulated design establishes advantages in
load distribution across a reinforcing element and a shell or may
also be used to match the shape of shell 841 or otherwise shaped
receptacle connector shells. The use of undulate rebars may be
implemented with any of the embodiments of reinforcing elements
discussed herein. Thus, while the discussion of patterns of rebars
of reinforcing elements discussed was primarily focused on variance
in a first and a second dimension, reinforcing elements of the
present invention are not limited to a two-dimensional pattern. For
example, the rebars of some reinforcing elements may be bent at the
ends of the rebars to secure the rebars' embedded position within a
receptacle connector shell, e.g., shell 841.
FIGS. 8C-8E illustrate additional embodiments of receptacle
connector reinforcing elements according to the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 8C, instead of parallel and overlapping
perpendicular rebars, reinforcing element 864 includes a number of
interlocked rings of rebar. The rings of reinforcing element 864
are arranged in a straight line where each ring is interlocked with
the ring immediately adjacent to it. Once interlocked, the rings of
reinforcing element 864 could be arranged in a number of different
configurations, e.g., a straight line of interlocked rings as shown
in FIG. 8C or a series of interlocked rings arranged in a
rectangular pattern. Ties or welds, as discussed earlier, may be
used in some embodiments to hold the rings of embodiments of
reinforcing element 866 in a particular arraignment. Alternatively,
one or more rings in a series of rings may be interlocked with more
than one ring in the series of rings, e.g., one ring may be
interlocked with 2 or 8 rings and another ring may be interlocked
with 3 or 10 rings.
In some embodiments, the thickness of the rebars of a reinforcing
element may be varied. For example, a dense mesh of relatively thin
bars that are easily bendable could be implemented as shown by
reinforcing element 866 in FIG. 8D. Flexible reinforcing element
866 made be made from metal, e.g., titanium, nickel or other alloy,
such that a single unit of mesh could be bent to be embedded in
multiple portions of a connector receptacle shell. These variations
and other similar variations may serve to optimize the distribution
of loads applied to connector receptacle shells as well as the
overall strength of connector receptacle shells.
In other embodiments, a connector receptacle reinforcing element
may be a solid structure that includes holes. For example, FIG. 8E
shows a reinforcing element 867 including holes 868. Reinforcing
element 867 may be a sheet of metal and holes 868 may be formed
through a stamping process performed on the sheet metal.
Alternatively, reinforcing element 867 may be a molded sheet of
metal formed through a casting process to include holes 868.
Reinforcing element 867 may also be formed by arranging rebars in a
mesh configuration that includes holes. While holes 868 of FIG. 8E
are shown as being rectangular shaped holes, holes 868 may also be
otherwise shaped. For example, holes 868 may be circular,
triangular, or irregularly shaped. When embedded in a receptacle
connector shell of a device, reinforcing element 867 may improve
the EMI/EMC performance of the device.
As with other examples provided herein, reinforcing element 867 may
be made from a variety of materials including metals, but also
dielectrics and polymers or a combination thereof. In some
embodiments, reinforcing element 867 may be made primarily or
exclusively from a metal, such as carbon steel.
In some embodiments, more than one embodiment of a reinforcing
element according to the present invention may be implemented
within a single receptacle connector shell. For example, one wall
of a receptacle connector shell may be embedded with one embodiment
of a reinforcing element while another wall of the shell may
implement another embodiment of a reinforcing element. As another
example, more than one reinforcing element may be embedded within a
single portion or wall of a receptacle connector shell; the
reinforcing elements may be stacked on top of each other or
adjacent to each other in this example. Additionally, as discussed
above, embodiments of the present invention may provide receptacle
connectors that are configured to accept various different plug
connectors implementing a variety of different connector
technologies.
In embodiments of the present invention the design variables
discussed above, e.g., rebar types, patterns, positioning and
others, may be varied to achieve the appropriate balance of
receptacle connector shell strength and EMI/EMC performance desired
for a particular application. Generally speaking, as the density of
a rebar pattern and/or the thickness of the rebars of an embedded
reinforcing element increases, so does the strength of the
receptacle connector shell and the strength of the shielding
provided by the reinforcing element. However, as the density of a
rebar pattern and/or the thickness of the rebar of an embedded
reinforcing element increases, so does the potential for antenna
coupling between the reinforcing element and an antenna of the
electronic device. However, for each embodiment discussed herein,
an increase in rebar pattern density and/or rebar thickness will
yield a different resultant strength, shielding and antenna
coupling balance. Accordingly, a suitable embodiment for a
particular application will depend on the desired balance of
receptacle connector shell strength, connector receptacle shielding
and antenna coupling.
VI. Method of Manufacture
It may be desirable to provide an effective manufacturing process
for the receptacle connectors discussed above. Accordingly,
embodiments of the present invention provide for a method of
manufacture for the embedding of reinforcing elements within a
receptacle connector shell. For example, reinforcing elements may
be embedded in a receptacle connector shell through injection
molding, machining, and/or press fitting.
A. Injection Molding
FIGS. 9A-9B illustrate an exemplary die for use in methods of
manufacturing according to the present invention. Receptacle
connector shells as discussed above may be manufactured as one
piece using a die or mold, e.g., die 900 as shown in FIGS. 9A-9B.
Die 900 includes a first die portion 910 and a second die portion
920. First and second die portions 910 and 920 may each include a
recess, e.g., recesses 930 and 940, such that when die portions 910
and 920 are brought together a composite recess or cavity is formed
that is capable of receiving molten resin to form a receptacle
connector shell via an injection molding process. Die portions 910
and 920 may also include supports, e.g., supports 950 as shown in
FIG. 9A, for suspending reinforcing elements, e.g., reinforcing
element 960, within a die recess, e.g., recess 930, during the
injection molding process.
While FIG. 9A shows a support 950 for each end of the rebars of
reinforcing element 960 provided within recess 930, the number of
supports 950 may only be proportional to the number of reinforcing
bars included on a reinforcing element, e.g., a support may be
included for each end of every other rebar. Supports 950 may also
be included within recess 940. Thus, the position of supports 950
may vary so as to facilitate the embedding of a reinforcing element
in one or more portions of receptacle connector shells as described
above. In some embodiments, supports 950 may be slots into which
ends of rebars of reinforcing elements may be inserted.
Accordingly, the position and types of supports 950 may vary in
order to accommodate the different embodiments of the receptacle
connector as discussed herein. Die 900 may also include various
other features to assist in the injection molding process, e.g., a
spruce, a runner, gates, alignment pins, and/or other features.
FIG. 10 illustrates a method of manufacture according to an
embodiment of the present invention. This figure, as with the other
included figures, is shown for illustrative purposes and does not
limit either the possible embodiments of the present inventions or
the claims.
At step 1010, a reinforcing element is positioned or suspended
within a die cavity. For example, supports 950 (shown in FIG. 9)
may be used to position or suspend a reinforcing element, e.g.,
reinforcing element 960 (shown in FIG. 9), within a die cavity,
e.g., the composite recess formed by recesses 930 and 940 of die
900 (shown in FIG. 9). The positioning of a reinforcing element
within a recess of a die may be done manually or may be automated.
For example, in embodiments where supports 950 are slots, the ends
of the rebars of a reinforcing element may be manually inserted
into supports 950. At this point, the die portion, e.g., first die
portion 910 and a second die portion 920, may be brought together
to form the die cavity with a reinforcing element suspended within
the die cavity.
At step 920, material is injected in the die cavity. The material,
e.g., thermoplastics, thermosets, and/or elastomers, may be
injected by means of an injection molding machine that mixes,
heats, and forces the material into a die, e.g., die 900. As
discussed earlier, the injection molding process may be aided by a
spruce, a runner, gates, and/or other features to assist the flow
of the injected material. At the conclusion of this step, the die
cavity may be completely filled with the injected material and the
injected material may now be in the shape of a connector receptacle
shell.
At step 930, the injected molded part is removed from the die. Once
the injected material cools, the die may be opened and the part, a
receptacle connector shell such as shell 240 as shown in FIG. 2,
may be removed or ejected from the die, e.g., by means of ejector
pins. The cooling process may accomplish via a coolant being passed
through the die to absorb the heat from the die, which was heated
by the injected material. At the conclusion of the cooling process
the molded part, e.g., the receptacle connector shell, may be in
the form of a solid as shaped by the die. The die may be opened by
separating the portions of the die leaving the molded part in the
recess of one of the die portions, e.g., recess 930 of first die
portion 910. In some embodiments, ejector pins, which may be placed
in the portion of a die that contains the molded part after the die
is opened, may be used to push the molded part out of the recess of
a die portion, e.g., die portion 910.
At step 940, the injection molded part may be machined as
necessary. This machining step may be used to remove any portion of
a reinforcing element that protrudes from the injection molded
receptacle connector shell. For example, the ends of the rebar of a
reinforcing element that were placed in suspension supports, e.g.,
supports 950, may protrude from the outer surface of the injection
molded receptacle connector shell. For a number of reasons,
aesthetic or otherwise, the protruding ends of rebar may be removed
at step 940 via machining. As another example, machining may be
used to remove any excess material, e.g., flash, on the injection
molded receptacle connector shell.
In some embodiments, method 900 may include fewer or additional
steps. For example, contacts or other elements of receptacle
connectors may be suspended within the die cavity prior to
injecting material into the die. As another example, other
machining steps may be implemented after step 940 to form features
on a receptacle connector shell.
B. Other Methods of Manufacture
In other embodiments portions of receptacle connector shells may be
press fit together after placing a reinforcing element between them
in order to embed the reinforcing element within the shell. In yet
additional embodiments, holes are machined into a receptacle
connector shell into which rebars may be inserted and held in place
with an adhesive. In other embodiments, metal particles may be
mixed in with a material before the material is injection molded
into a receptacle connector shell die so as to provide structural
and/or EMI/EMC performance advantages.
Also, while a number of specific embodiments were disclosed with
specific features, a person of skill in the art will recognize
instances where the features of one embodiment can be combined with
the features of another embodiment. For example, some specific
embodiments of the invention set forth above were illustrated as
including only one type of rebar in a reinforcing element. A person
of skill in the art will readily appreciate that one or more of any
of the other types of rebars discussed herein, as well as others
not specifically mentioned, may be used instead of or in
combination with any of the rebars shown in embodiments of the
reinforcing element discussed herein. Also, those skilled in the
art will recognize, or be able to ascertain using no more than
routine experimentation, many equivalents to the specific
embodiments of the inventions described herein. Such equivalents
are intended to be encompassed by the following claims.
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